HOW TO Use Sand Bags in Yoga Poses

Yoga Sandbags can be used for a variety of reasons: to assist you in deepening your stretch; to help bring awareness to a particular part of your body or your breath; or as weights to improve your strength.

We offer Yoga Sandbags that are shipped empty to save on shipping costs and to allow you to fill to any weight desired (up to 10 pounds). They can be filled with any dry item such as sand, grains, beans, corn or rice. Our sandbags offer convenient handles and a zipper to keep those dry goods secured. Several colors to choose from. Studios may wish to buy different colors to use to fill to different weights that are then easily identified by their colors.

What can you do with a sandbag? Here are just a few ways to add a sandbag to your yoga practice:

In seated poses, such as Easy Pose or Baddha Konasana: place a sandbag on each knee to help press the knee firmly to the ground and stretches the inner thighs

In kneeling poses, such as Hero Pose or Half Hero Pose: lay a sandbag on the bent leg(s) to help press the thigh closer to the ground

In supine poses, such as Savasana: lay the sandbag across your belly to become more aware of your breath

In reclining poses, such as Supta Baddh Konasana: place a sandbag on your feet to keep them firmly on the ground

When standing in Tall Mountain: hold the handle of the sandbag(s) and slowly bend your arms at the elbows, lowering the sandbag behind your back for a great arm & shoulder stretch and strengthener.

In Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall): drape a sandbag across the soles of your feet. The weight grounds your legs and reduces any tension in your lower back.

In Savasana – to deepen the pose: take a block and a 10-pound sand bag. After reclining on the floor, position the block on the floor above your head. The block should sit on one of its sides (the height of the block should be about 5 inches), with one of its ends lightly touching your crown. Then lay the sand bag half on the block and half on your forehead. Scrub the forehead skin down, toward your eyebrows. Then let the brain sink away from this weight.

In Staff Pose: lay a sandbag at the top of each thigh near the hip crease to help ground upper legs